Our water originates in ... What Can You Do? • Properly dispose of, or recycle, motor oil, antifreeze, The Upper Rogue paint, solvents and other toxic materials. The Rogue Drinking • Wash your car on the lawn or at a commercial carwash River Watershed to prevent wash water from entering storm drains. Water Partnership We are fortunate that the Rogue River and its tributaries • Reduce or eliminate your pesticide use to help provide us with a high-quality water source. But the Rogue prevent pesticide runoff. watershed has many uses, which can create challenges to • Clean up after your pet. water quality. • Conserve water, especially in the summer months when stream flows are at their lowest. The more water In addition to supplying high-quality drinking water to over we save, the more water we can keep in the river for fish 200,000 people in Jackson and Josephine Counties, the upper and fun! From the Rogue watershed: ...is a coalition of water providers and partners • Get involved! Attend a Rogue Drinking Water Partnership or watershed council meeting. who get their drinking water from the Rogue • Call your water provider for more information. forest River and its tributary streams. to the Because water flows instantly from our faucets we rarely think about how the water gets from the forest to our taps.

• Is 75% forested www.rogueriverwc.org • Drains 2,437 square miles For more information about our watershed and conservation • The Rogue River flows 113 miles from its headwaters near programs please click QR or visit our web page: Crater Lake to the Grants Pass city limits, and another 102 www.stream-smart.com/our-work/programs-and- miles from Grants Pass to the Pacific Ocean projects/rogue-drinking-water-partnership/

• The watershed lies in three counties and includes federal, state, and private land

• Is home to steelhead, Chinook and coho salmon, as We often take drinking water for granted until it well as lamprey and sea-run cutthroat trout is threatened by drought, contamination, water • Generates hydroelectric power or contact us at: main breaks, or some other emergency. Rogue River Watershed Council • Supports many productive farms and ranches 89 Alder Street Central Point, OR 97502 A safe reliable water supply, however, is critical to • Offers a wealth of recreational activities such as fishing, the success of any community. It supports jobs, hiking, camping, whitewater rafting, kayaking and hunting (541) 423-6158 www.rogueriverwc.org attracts industry and investment, and provides for • Provides important habitat for many plant, wildlife and aquatic species The Rogue Drinking Water Partnership serves the Medford the health and welfare of citizens in ways ranging Water Commission, and the cities of Grants Pass, Rogue River, Gold Hill, from disease prevention to fire suppression. • Sections of the Rogue River are designated as part of the Central Point, Jacksonville, Phoenix, Talent, Ashland, White City, Wild and Scenic Rivers System Eagle Point and Shady Cove.

printed on recycled paper From the Next time you take a drink of water, remember what it takes to get that water to your faucet. Think of the hard work, Rogue Drinking Water and intricate treatment and delivery systems that make it all forest happen, and think of our priceless watersheds. to the Source Protection Areas (SPAs) Crater Lake Sustaining a Rogue River precious resource Protecting the Rogue River and its watershed is one of our 62 top priorities. Maintaining the high-quality of our drinking water sources can help minimize future treatment costs, while continuing to protect public health and safety.

The Rogue River begins near Crater Lake, where it flows Elk Creek Country View Lost The Region’s water needs are constantly changing, our through forested areas over rugged terrain, then in the lower Mobile Home Creek Estates Lake population is growing, and increasingly stringent state and SPA reaches of the upper watershed (through Grants Pass) the river federal water quality standards must be met. We know we flows through agricultural and urban areas. Shady can meet the challenges that lie ahead, while keeping the City of Cove Anglers Cove Grants Pass SPA cost of water production as low as possible. Water is taken out of the river and treated for human SPA Big Butte Creek consumption. Once water is treated it moves through a Butte complex system of pipes, valves, and pumps to storage tanks Big Butte Springs Falls City of 62 Pipelines or reservoirs. There it is stored until it is needed by homes and Gold Hill SPA businesses in the community. Eagle Point Big Butte Evans Creek Gold Hill Rogue River Springs Rogue 5 River Watershed The costs of bringing Grants Pass White City City of Medford 14 Mt. McLoughlin water to your tap Rogue River Water SPA Central Commisson Most people pay a water bill, either directly, or it is figured into Point SPA Fish Medford Little Butte Creek Lake rental costs. People generally have no idea what their water bill Jacksonville actually pays for. Phoenix Bear Creek 238 • Intake structures – The Rogue Drinking Water Providers have Talent City of Gold Hill SPA several intake structures on the Rogue River and its tributaries Ashland where water is taken out of the river. These facilities have to be quality standards. This includes testing during • Water management – maintained to function properly. the water treatment process as well as on the finished City of Water providers implement many programs water within the distribution system. Sampling and testing Ashland 5 • Treatment process – We use different treatment SPA to safeguard public drinking water systems. can be very expensive. processes - conventional treatment, direct filtration and ozone Two of these focus on water conservation treatment. Treating and disinfecting water have costs associated • Moving water – Electricity is used to power pumps and source water protection. Both programs with chemical use and electricity. There are also ongoing that move water from the river through treatment and aim to ensure we have plenty of high-quality maintenance costs to ensure that these facilities continue to meet distribution systems. water for years to come. state and federal drinking water requirements. Both chemical and electrical costs continue to increase. • Distribution systems – Unseen networks of pipes, valves, All of these things cost money, but we still provide reservoirs, and pumping stations are necessary to move water. water at a cost of less than a penny per gallon. When you • Testing – State and federal drinking water regulations Much of this infrastructure is old and needs ongoing maintenance, compare that to the price of bottled water, you realize what an require water providers to meet over 100 different water repair, and/or replacement, all which costs money. amazing service our public water systems provide!